Hidden Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup

 

Not only tasty but results in a gorgeous vibrant colored broth! Veggies are blended into the broth after being cooked so you have minimal chopping to do and less whining from picky eaters :)

8 cups water or chicken broth (or ½ and ½)*

1 small to medium onion (whole, peeled)

2 carrots, peeled and cut into a few pieces

2 celery ribs, cut in half

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 small to medium chicken breasts or 1 extra large (or 1 large split chicken breast)

¾ cup orzo or equivalent of small noodles (or 2 peeled and cubed potatoes)

Herbs and seasoning to taste**

Add everything (expect pasta and herbs) to large pot on stove or slow cooker or to electric pressure cooker (on low/med saute or slow cook setting). Bring to simmer and skim foam top if fat from chicken accumulates. Let simmer for at least 40 minutes, covered, or until vegetables are soft and chicken shreds easily. 

Remove chicken and shred. Remove vegetables and add to blender with 1-2 cups of the broth. Blend until completely smooth (or use immersion blender). Add back to pot and stir. Add chicken and stir.  Bring back to simmer and add orzo or pasta of choice. Simmer until tender (about 9-11 minutes for orzo)

Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

*When I used all water I had to add 2 teaspoons of Tones Chicken Base for added flavor

**I added ½ teaspoon dried oregano and ¼ teaspoon dried cilantro. You can add whatever herbs you want!

Slightly adapted from https://www.themodernnonna.com/hidden-veggie-chicken-soup/

Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade, from scratch, version of Campell's Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

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2 boxes chicken broth (32 oz)

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2/3 cup frozen green peas

8 ounces shredded chicken (from baked split chicken breast)

4 ounces thin soup noodles (can find in Hispanic section)

salt and pepper, to taste

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Bring chicken broth to simmer in large stock pot. Cook celery, carrots, and peas, covered, until tender. Add chicken and noodles. Cook covered until noodles reach desired tenderness, should take about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with bread.

Chicken Pillows - Chicken Stuffed Crescent Rolls

Rich puffy crescent rolls with a chicken and cream cheese filling, breaded in savory stuffing bread crumbs. Tasty comfort food that's perfect for a Sunday night dinner. Can also use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. Makes 16 stuffed rolls. Serves 5-8 people.

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2-8 ct. cans of refrigerated crescent rolls (16 total)

8-9 oz cooked, shredded chicken* 4 oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt cracked pepper to taste 6 oz box of stuffing (like Stove Top), will only use 3 oz 4 tablespoons of melted butter 1 can jellied cranberry sauce, for serving

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Preheat oven to 350 and move oven rack to the middle of the oven. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Crush stuffing in blender, food processor, or with a rolling pin in a zip top bag. Weigh out 3 oz and reserve other 3 ounces in the freezer for the next time you make this recipe.

Using an electric hand mixer, combine chicken, cream cheese, and spices in small bowl. Divide chicken filling among the 16 rolls (approximately 1-2 tablespoons each). You may need to flatten/stretch out the dough a little bit first so that the filling will fit. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the seams together to seal.

Dip each roll in melted butter and then roll in stuffing mix crumbs. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with cranberry jelly.

*Can use fresh chicken from split chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken breast, or 1 can of Sam’s Club canned shredded chicken, drained.

Adapted from a recipe I got from my mother-in-law ;)

Skillet Chicken Cordon Bleu

  Quick and easy version of a fancy dish. Serves 3-5 people. Cook Time 10-15 minutes. 

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4-5 small chicken breasts, tenderized

1-2 T olive oil

4 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup monterey jack cheese, shredded

¼  cup cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

½ cup panko

1 T Italian seasoning

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

4 teaspoons olive oil

3 slices ham, diced (I like Hormel Natural Choice Ham)

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1. Preheat oven to 400. Prepare chicken breasts by placing in a zip top bag and pounding them on each side with a meat tenderizer.
2. Combine cream cheese, shredded cheeses, and garlic salt in small bowl.
3. Combine panko, seasonings, oil, and diced ham  in a small bowl.
4. Heat olive oil in oven proof  non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts for 1 minute on each side. Remove skillet from heat.
5. Move chicken breasts to center so they are touching each other. Spread cheese mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle panko/ham mixture over the cheese.
6. Bake at 400 (in middle of oven)  until chicken breasts reach an internal temperature of 165 F (about 6-8 minutes).

Tips

If you don’t have a meat tenderizer you can use the back of a cookie scoop or a rolling pin. You can use any type of shredded cheese to mix with the cream cheese, including swiss or parmesan. If your skillet is not oven proof, just transfer the chicken to an oven-proof casserole dish before topping and baking.

Indian Curry and Yellow Basmati Rice

Chicken can be substitute for cubed tofu. Spices can be found at Asian and Latin American stores for much cheaper than a regular grocery store. Serves 4-6 people

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1 tablespoon oil

1 small onion, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (or 1 tsp dried ground ginger)

1 jalapeno seeded and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 cups chicken broth

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup coconut milk (or cream or evaporated milk)

3 medium chicken breasts, cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

3 tablespoons white sugar

3 tablespoons butter

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Heat oil over medium heat in a deep skillet. Add onion, ginger, and jalapeno. Stir frequently and cook until onions are tender and clear, at least 5 minutes. Add remaining spices and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Scrape entire contents into a blender.

Add chicken broth and tomato paste to blender and blend until smooth, at least 1 minute. Pour back into pan. Add coconut milk and bring to low simmer. Add chicken, salt and pepper, and sugar. Cover and stir occasionally until chicken is cooked and sauce starts to thicken. Add butter and stir until melted. Adjust sugar and salt to taste. Serve over yellow basmati rice (see recipe below) or any preferred rice.

Variation: Replace half of chicken with fresh cubed pineapple.

Time Saver: Use a heaping tablespoon of jarred minced jalapeno instead of a fresh jalapeno.

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Yellow Basmati Rice

Pairs well with any Indian curry or just as a flavorful side dish.

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2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups basmati rice

3 cups chicken broth

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Heat the butter, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and salt in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Stir and heat until the butter has melted.

Add the rice to the pot. Stir constantly and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes to slightly toast the rice and spices.

Add 3 cups of chicken broth. Place a lid on top, increase the heat to medium high, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer (with the lid in place) for 15-20 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed and the grains are tender. Check at 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with fork, salt to taste, and serve.

Adapted from budgetbytes.com.

(Rice recipe updated 9-19-16, reduced amount of rice to 1.5 cups)

Copycat Baked Spicy Chick-Fil-A Sandwich

I LOVE Chick-Fil-A and even worked at one in college. Unfortunately I live far away from one now, way too long to drive when I have a craving. So after discovering this recipe, I decided I needed to figure out how to make it myself. Plus this is baked, so it's a wee bit healthier! Reduce or omit the cayenne pepper and chili powder if you don't want it to be spicy. Makes 6 sandwiches.

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6 (4-ounce)s chicken breasts (flattened)

2/3 cup Heart Smart Bisquick

1/2 cup dried parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon white or black pepper

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder

6 hamburger buns

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons melted butter

smart balances spread

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Preheat oven to 450. Mix dry ingredients in ziplock bag. Whisk egg and milk with a fork. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture using a fork, letting excess drip off, and place in the ziplock bag. Shake and transfer chicken to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with rest of chicken. Drizzle melted butter over the chicken, using a tiny spoon. Bake for 6 minutes, turn and bake for 6 minutes more, or until chicken is done (165 degrees internal). Remove chicken from oven and set the pan on the counter. Turn off oven. Lightly butter the inside of the buns with smart balance. Place buns in oven on a baking sheet for 5 minutes to lightly toast. Serve chicken on toasted buns with your favorite dipping sauce and two pickles slices :)

Inspired by and adapted from here and various online Chick-Fil-A copy cat recipes. 

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad

1 (12-ounce) can Sam's Club canned chicken, drained (or 9 oz equivalent chopped/shredded chicken)

3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise (start with 3)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 small apple, peeled and diced

1/4 cup chopped pecans

fresh cracked pepper

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Shred chicken with fork. Combine with rest of ingredients. Season to taste with pepper. Chill until ready to use. Serve on sandwich bread, rolls, croissants, or crackers.

Baked Boneless Wings

Can be tossed in buffalo, barbecue, honey barbecue, or any of your favorite wing sauces. These taste just like what you get at a restaurant but for a fraction of the cost and without the fat and mess of deep frying. Serves 4 people.

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1 cup flour

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

3 medium chicken breasts, cut into chunks

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Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the flour, panko breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a small mixing bowl. Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl.

Double batter the chicken pieces (dip in egg, then in dry mixture, then repeat both steps). Place pieces on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spray pieces with cooking spray. Bake 8-10 minutes, turning each one over halfway through the cooking time (and spray the other side with cooking spray).  

Turn oven to broil. Broil chicken for 1-3 minutes on each side to crisp them up. Toss to coat in sauce. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Source: lovetobeinthekitchen.com

Paprika Chicken (Slow Cooker)

Easy spin on a traditional Hungarian dish. It is important to use Hungarian Paprika as the flavor is much stronger and better than American Paprika which only adds color and not much flavor. Serves 4-6 people.

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2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fresh or frozen, coated in flour)

1 onion, chopped or grated

1 carrot, finely shredded

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons Hungarian Paprika

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup sour cream

egg noodles or rice or mashed potatoes

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Arrange onion on bottom or slow cooker. Place chicken on top of onions. Sprinkle carrot and spices over chicken. Pour chicken broth over the top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is done and shreds easily with a fork. Shred chicken. Stir in sour cream. Salt to taste if needed. Serve over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish individual servings with extra sour cream if desired.

Hand Pulled or Shredded Chicken from Baked Split Chicken Breasts (Cooking Tip, Meal Prep Method)

Easy technique for making tender, juicy pulled chicken for soups, enchiladas, Hawaiian haystack sauce, curries, chicken pot pies, and other recipes. Portions freeze well for easy meal prep. 3 options for cooking!

 

Oven Option:

Preheat oven to 350. Rub each split chicken breast with a teaspoon of olive oil. Place in baking dish (lined with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up). Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and cover dish with foil or lid. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from oven and let cool. Once chicken breasts are cool enough to handle pull the chicken off the bone and shred or chop to desired size pieces. Freeze in freezer zip top bags or containers for quick use in soups and other recipes.

Slow Cooker Option: 

Cook in slow cooker on low in 2 cups water, season with salt and pepper, until internal temperature reaches 165. 

Electric Pressure Cooker Option:

Spray pot with nonstick cooking spray. Add 2-4 split chicken breasts. Add salt and pepper and 1 cup of water. Cook on high pressure for 20-25 minutes. Quick release. Check temperature of chicken, should be 165. If not, just cook again for 3-5 more minutes. When it's cool enough to handle, hand shred and store in fridge or freeze for later use if needed. 

Hawaiian Haystacks (with slow cooker option)

This recipe is SO easy and one of my favorites! Some people call these Chinese Sundaes. Everyone makes their sauce differently but this is my optimized version, not too thick, not too thin, just perfect. The best part is that each person can easily customize their own toppings. Serves 4-6 people. 

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Sauce: 1 (12-ounce) can shredded chicken (or 9 oz homemade shredded chicken + 1/3 cup water)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 can milk

Suggested Toppings: pineapple shredded coconut crunchy rice or chow mein noodles (I like La Choy Brand Rice Noodles) slivered almonds diced tomatoes diced green onions maraschino cherries shredded cheese

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Combine sauce ingredients in medium saucepan (including water from can of chicken if using canned, the only kind of canned chicken I use is Sam's Club brand). Simmer for at least 5 minutes and keep warm until ready to serve. Spoon over white rice (I love jasmine rice for this) and top with favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Variation: Cook with raw or frozen chicken in slow cooker on high or low until chicken easily shreds. Removed chicken to shred, then add back to sauce and stir before serving

Baked Chicken Strips

This is one of my favorite recipes! It's so easy and they turn out perfect every time. You can also cut the chicken into cubes to make chicken nuggets or add some cayenne pepper to spice them up. Serves 4-6 people.

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2/3 cup Heart Smart Bisquick

1/2 cup dried parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1-2 eggs, beaten

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into strips or nuggets)

3 tablespoons melted butter

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Preheat oven to 450. Mix dry ingredients in ziplock bag. Dip half of chicken pieces into the egg, using a fork, letting excess drip off, and place in the ziplock bag. Shake and transfer to a parchment paper or foil lined cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of chicken. Drizzle melted butter over the chicken. Bake for 6 minutes, turn and bake for 6 minutes more, or until chicken is done. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Slightly adapted from bettycrocker.com

Chicken Pot Pockets

I invented this recipe a few weeks ago and my husband came up with the name for it. It's basically a cross between a chicken pot pie and a hot pocket. It's really good!

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shredded or cubed chicken (I used the canned shredded chicken from Sam's Club)

boxed stuffing, prepared as directions state

frozen vegetables

pie crust

chicken gravy (I made it from the packet mix)

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Preheat oven to 375 and prepare stuffing, then pepare the pie crust. I made a double crust batch and made 3 large pockets out of it (could make 4 if you made them smaller). Divide dough with knife into however many pockets you want to make. Roll out each piece into an oval on parchment paper. Fill with chicken/stuffing/frozen veggies. Fold over and flute edge. Transfer pockets to cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicon baking mat. Brush with beaten egg. Bake 375 for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden. Serve with chicken gravy poured on top.

Alternate Version: Put stuffing, chicken, and vegetables into individual baking dishes, top with some gravy (1/4-1/3 cup). Top with a layer of pie crust dough. Poke holes with a fork to allow steam to vent. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 425 for approximately 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.